Jed Drake’s decision to join ESPN reflected his belief in the marketability and growth potential of an (at-the-time untested) 24/7 sports broadcasting model. He led diverse aspects of event production throughout the 1980s, notably leading U.S. coverage of the 1987 America’s Cup in Freemantle, Australia This marquee event featured American skipper Dennis Conner’s successful leadership of the Stars & Stripes 87 team in defeating Australia and winning back the Cup for his country. Mr. Drake continued to head production of ESPN America’s Cup coverage for the next eight years.
In 1989, Jed Drake accepted responsibilities as Coordinating Producer with ESPN. In this capacity, he was instrumental in expanding the network’s coverage to include Major League Baseball. Since accepting his current role in 2000, Mr. Drake has continued to develop innovative programming that includes special features within the Sunday Night Baseball brand, and popular sports talk shows such as 1st and Ten. Recognizing expanded interest in soccer in the United States, Mr. Drake also spearheaded a significant World Cup coverage expansion in 2010. All 64 games were broadcast on a total of four American networks, including three ESPN channels and ABC Sports.